Gate-latch.



W. LOUDEN.

GATE LATCH.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. z, 191e.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

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WILLIAM LOUDEN, 0F FAIRFIELD, IOWA.

GATE-LATCH.

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Speeication of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. In, 1916.

` Application filed February 7, 1916. Serial No. 76,589.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM LoUDnN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fairfield, in the county of Jefferson and State of Iowa,haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Gate-Latches, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to gate latches which will operate in oppositedirections, and it consists of means to prevent the latch from passingby its catch without latching and to hold the latch in its catch, and ofother features which will be hereafter described and which will bedefinitely set forth in the claims.

`In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side perspective of a latchembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical lsection on line 22 of Fig.l, and Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3 3 of Fig. l, looking inthe direction of the arrow in both cases. Fig. 4 is a side view of amodified form of the invention. Fig. isa detail view of same. Fig. 6 isa vertical section which `will be explained hereafter. j

Referringl to the drawing, A is a latch pivoted to a tubular member Bwhich is intended to represent a section of a gate frame.

C isa catch which is secured to a tubular member D which is intended torepresent a section of a gate post, the catch being adapted to receivethe latch A..

E is av pendent member pivotally hung `at its upper enden a boss G onthe upper end of the body of the catch C. The member E is channeled onits inner side, or in other words, isprovided with an inwardly extendingflange F on its bottom and sides. The `upper portions of the sides ofthe flanges are preferably curved outwardly', as shown in the drawing,and in the center of this outwardly curved portion of the flange anoutwardly projecting pin II is located on the upper portion of the catchC immediately below the boss G. rIhis pin is adapted to come in contactwith the outwardly curved portion of the flange F and will arrest themovementk of the member E when swung` to a certain position in eitherdirection.

The gate of which the member B is a portion, being swung to the catch C,the latch A will slide up the incline I on the side of the catch neXt toit and will come in Contact with the lower end of the member E and willpush it before it until one of the adjacent portions of the flange Fcomes in contact with the pin II, which will arrest its furthermovement. rIhe latch will then drop into the notch or recess between themolines I, and the member E will swing to a central position over theend of the latch in the recess, as most plainly shown in Fig. 2. 'Ihelatch will now be securely held in the recess of the catch and cannot beremoved therefrom until the member E is swung to one side, which willpermit it to be lifted out of the recess to open the gate. It will beseen that the member E may be swung to either side desired, so that thelatch may be lifted out of the recess on either lside desired, and thegate may be opened in that direction.

It makes no dierence in which direction the latch may' approach thecatch it will slide up the incline I on that side, and will push thependent E over until the adjacent portion of the flange F comes incontact with the pin H, when the further movement ofthe latch will bearrested. The latch will then drop into the recess of the catch and themember E will swing back over it and hold it in latched position.

The pendent being wider immediately below its pivot where the pin H islocated than at its lower end will permit it to swing a sufficientdistance before the pin comes in contact with its iange where it isoutwardly curved, (thus arresting its further movement) to allow thelatch to drop into the recess. By this arrangement the latch will beeifectually prevented from passing through or by the catch without firstlatching, and the pendent will have to be swung to one side before thelatch can pass to the other side of the catch.

When tubular or other similar material,

cylindrical in cross section, is used, the catch will be made to t saidmaterial and will be preferably secured thereto by clip bolts J passedthrough openings in lugs formed on the edges of the catch. A bolt orrivet R provided with a washer W is secured to the boss G to hold themember E thereon while permitting it to swing freely to either sidewithin the limits permitted by the iiange E and the pin H. l

The latch A is preferably made of two equal parts, one right and theother left, secured together by rivets K and 7c. It is adapted tostraddle the member B and is pivoted thereto by a bolt L. y'Ihefend a ofthe latch which surrounds the member B is preferably extended upwardlyor arched,.as shown in Fig. l, and 1s arranged to come 1n contact withsaid member when the body of the latch is in lowered position, thusforming a stop to prevent the latch from dropping below theinclines I.The catch .is easily adjusted up or down on the member D by looseningthe clip bolts J, and may be readily adjusted to the proper position atany time for the latch to contact with the inclines of the catch.

When material having flat surfaces is used for the gate and the gatepost, such as that shown by M and N in Figs. l and 5, the latch and thebase of the catch will have to be modified to suit the requirements. Thebase of the catch C will be made flat and provided with holes 0 for theadmission of screws or bolts to fasten it to the post N.y

A lag screw P provided with a washer W may also be used to hold themember E on the boss G, and passing therethrough to fasten the upper endof the catch to the post N. j

When fiat material is used for the gate, as at M, a flat bar Q may beused for the latch and be pivoted, to the gate at S. In thisconstruction means should be used to limit the movement of the latch barQ, such for instance as the bracket or keeper T. y

Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse section through the member E, the upperend of the .catch C, and the adjacent portion of the post D. This figureshows plainly the pin H and the boss G, and how the rivet R is securedin place. The construction is simple and inexpensive, as well as durableand effective.

What I claim is: y

1. In gate latches, a catch set at sulostan` tially right angles to thelatch, and having .an upwardly inclined face on each side with a recessbetween the inner and upper ends of the inclines, the latch being`adapted to slide up the inclines on either side and drop into therecess, and a pendent member pivoted above the recess whereby it willnormally stand over and hold the latch in the recess, and be swung tothe side in removing it therefrom.

2. In a device of the character described, a pivoted latch, a catch setat substantially right angles to the free end of the latch, and havingan upwardly inclined face on each side with a recess between their innerand upper ends, the free end of the latch being adapted to slide upeither of the inclines and drop into the recess between them, and apendent member pivoted to a boss on the upper end of the body of thecatch and adapted to stand normally over the recess whereby it will holdthe end of the latch in the recess of the catch and be swung to eitherside to remove the latch therefrom.

3. In a device of the character described, a catch having an upwardlyinclined face on each side with a recess between'their inner and upperends, a pendent member pivoted to the upper end of the body of thecatch, and adapted to stand normally over the recess, a pin on the catchbelow the pivot of the pendant, iianges on the sides of the pendantadapted to come in Contact with'the pin and arrest the movement of thependant at a certain point in either direction and a pivoted latchhaving its free end adapted to slide up the incline vof the catch oneither side and push the pendant as far as it will go to the side andthen drop into the recess of the catch, when the pendant will swing backto its normal position and hold 'the latch in the recess of the catch.

4. In a device of the character described, a catch having an upwardlyinclined face on each side withk a recess between their inner and upperends, a pendent member pivoted to the upper end of the catch and adaptedto stand normally over the recess, a pin on the catch below the pivot ofthe pendant, curved out flanges on the sides of the pendant adaptedtocome in` contact with the pin and arrest the movement of the pendantat a certain point in either direction and a pivoted latch having itsrfree end adapted to slide up the incline of the catch on either side andpush the pendant as far as it will go to the side and then drop into therecess of the catch, when the pendant will swing back to its normalposition and hold the latch in the recess of the catch.

5; In a device of the character described, a catch adapted to be securedto a gate post and having an upwardly inclined face on each side, and alatch comprising two parts riveted together, and adapted to straddle anadjacent .portion of a gate frame, and be pivoted thereto, the free endof the latch being adapted to slide up the inclined faces of the catchanddrop into the recess between the inclines and means to limit thevertical movement of the latch on the gate frame.

6. In a device of the character described, a .catch adapted to besecured to a gate post and having an upwardly inclined face on eachside, and a latch comprising two parts riveted together, and adapted tostraddle an limit the downward movement of the free adjacent portion ofa gate frame, and be end of the latch. pivoted thereto, the pivoted endsof the Fairfield, Iowa, Feb. 5, 1916.

parts which straddle the gate frame having WILLIAM LOUDEN. upwardlyinclined extensions joined together Witnesses:

so as to come in Contact with opposite side GERTRUDE K. FowLER,

of the frame member and form a stop to FLORA E. LAMSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Gommissioner o! Patents,

i Washington. D. C.

